Microsoft · Technologies
Copilot Cowork
Copilot that does the work, not just the writing.
Copilot Cowork takes a job you describe, plans the steps, and carries them out across Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel and SharePoint. It grounds the work in your own mail, files and meetings, and it stops for your approval before it sends or changes anything that matters.
COWORK TASKS · EXAMPLE TENANT
TASK
TRIGGER
STEPS
STATUS
Board-Pack-Monthly
Scheduled
12
DONE
Inbox-Triage
Daily 7:00
8
DONE
Tender-Response
On request
15
DONE
Client-Onboarding
New deal won
9
NEEDS APPROVAL
Bulk-File-Cleanup
Ad hoc
26
BLOCKED
Sample tenant
done · needs approval · blocked
In plain terms
Copilot Chat drafts things. Cowork finishes them.
The difference is whether you still have to do the steps yourself.
Without it
- You ask for a draft, then do all the steps yourself
- Multi-step jobs still land on one person’s desk
- The context lives in your head, not in the tool
- Every repeat starts from scratch
With it
- You describe the outcome and it plans the steps
- Long jobs run across apps without hand-holding
- Work is grounded in your own mail, files and meetings
- You approve before anything is sent or changed
What CG TECH can do with Copilot Cowork
Getting value out of it, without handing over the keys.
Ground it before you switch it on
Cowork answers from whatever a person can already open. If permissions and content are untidy, it will surface the wrong file quickly and confidently. We tidy the ground first.
no nasty surprises
Pick real jobs, not demos
We map the multi-step work that actually eats hours: board packs, tender responses, onboarding, inbox triage. Then we agree what Cowork should own, and what it should stay out of.
hours back, every week
Human in the loop where it counts
Cowork pauses for approval before it sends, shares or changes anything that matters. We set what needs a check, who gives it, and what Cowork is never allowed to touch.
you stay in control
Training on your actual work
Nobody adopts a tool from a feature list. We train on the tasks your team already does, and leave a short register of what Cowork is set up to handle.
used, not just licensed
How an engagement runs
From switched on to actually useful, step by step.
01
Check readiness
We look at licences, content and permissions before anyone turns it on.
02
Pick the work
We choose the jobs where Cowork saves real hours, and rule out the ones it should not touch.
03
Pilot
A small group runs real tasks, with approval checkpoints in place from day one.
04
Roll out
Training, guardrails and a register of what Cowork is allowed to do.
Questions we hear a lot
Common questions about Copilot Cowork
What is Copilot Cowork?
Copilot Cowork is the agentic layer in Microsoft 365. Instead of drafting something and handing it back to you, it takes a job you describe, plans the steps, and carries them out across your Microsoft 365 apps, checking with you before it does anything risky.
How is Cowork different from Copilot Chat?
Chat answers and drafts. Cowork acts. Chat gives you a paragraph. Cowork works through a multi-step job such as preparing a board pack or clearing an inbox, then reports back when it is done or when it needs a decision from you.
Is Copilot Cowork included in our licence?
It depends which Microsoft 365 and Copilot plans you hold, and Microsoft adjusts this from time to time. We check your actual tenant rather than guessing from a price list.
What does Copilot Cowork cost?
It depends on how many people need it and what you want them doing with it. The estimator on this site sizes it for your headcount and the tasks you want to hand over, so you get a number you can sanity check before anyone talks about buying.
How is this different from Claude Cowork?
They approach a similar problem from different directions. The Microsoft version lives inside Microsoft 365 and works on the content already there. We work with both, so the honest answer depends on where your work actually sits. Our <a href="/technologies/anthropic/claude-cowork/">Claude Cowork</a> page covers the other side.
Can we control what it is allowed to do?
Yes, and you should. Cowork asks for approval before higher risk actions such as sending mail or changing shared files, and admins control who gets it at all. Agreeing those limits before rollout rather than after is part of the work.
What about our data?
Cowork works within the Microsoft 365 permissions your people already have, so it surfaces what they could already open. That is exactly why permissions and content structure matter so much before you switch it on. Tidy ground first, then Cowork.
How do we get started?
Run the estimator to size it, then book a strategy session. We look at your licences, your content and the jobs worth handing over, and we will tell you if you are not ready yet.
Copilot Cowork Cost Estimator
What would Copilot Cowork cost your team?
Work out your likely monthly spend in AUD and projected return on investment. See your licensing and estimated credit usage.
Start your estimate →Takes about 2 minutes. Get instant access and a detailed report emailed to you.